


Daddy can't come to tell you good night

by sherlylikeswaffles



Series: Diggle's grave [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, that gravestone is Diggle's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:13:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlylikeswaffles/pseuds/sherlylikeswaffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The grave we saw in "Green Arrow" was actually Diggle's. Oliver is devastated by his friend's death. And so is Felicity, so she goes to visit Lyla and comfort her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daddy can't come to tell you good night

It wasn't his fault. It was his responsibility. Diggle, he had lost his best friend, his partner, the man who was like a brother to him. And why? Because he hadn't been fast enough that night. But most importantly he hadn't let him go when he should have. Diggle had a family, Lyla and Sara, and he should not have been out there with Oliver that night. He should have been with his family instead. Oliver had dragged him into this life. In the end, Digg had always had Oliver's back. In the end, it had cost him his life. These days it was hard for Oliver to talk to anybody. That's why he had sent Barry away. But he found it particularly hard to talk to Felicity. She didn't blame him for Diggle's death. No, she tried to cheer him up, told him again and again that he had to honor the dead by fighting. But every time, she thought he wasn't looking, she had this sad, sad expression in her eyes and he knew that she was wondering when it would be him, lying there dead. He couldn't leave her, too. They've been through too much together already. Oliver couldn't save her from this life. He had tried to give her a normal life and he had failed. So the only thing he could do for her was: end this, making sure that no one else was hurt. And survive this himself, because that was what he had promised her, to fight to live. That's what he had promised himself, that a life with her was worth living.  
“I'm so sorry, Digg. I'm sorry for everything...” Oliver whispered to John Diggle's gravestone.

Felicity knew where Oliver went and she also knew it was best to leave him alone at the moment. But it hurt to see him in pain like this. And worst of all, she was in pain herself. John had been like an older brother to her. Team Arrow would never be the same without him. Her life would never be the same without John. Since Oliver was unreachable, she went to the next best person she knew who missed John as much as she did. In fact, Lyla might be the only person who missed him more than Oliver and Felicity.  
“Oh, hey, Felicity, come on in,” Lyla said, opening the door wider. She had been crying, that much was obvious. Felicity hugged her tightly.  
“How are you?” she asked gently.  
“Not good, obviously. But I'm doing okay, I guess. Holding it together for Sara's sake.” Felicity nodded. She usually talked a lot but right now she didn't know what to say to comfort her friend. Lyla had known the risk John was in, right from the start. Lyla had even supported him, made sure that Diggle and Oliver were friends again.  
The two women sat down at the kitchen table, Sara was playing in the living room.  
“”You want to have a drink?” Lyla asked. Felicity nodded.  
“I only have tea, though.”  
“That's alright,” Felicity replied.  
“You know, it's not like I have never thought about it. What it would be like to loose him. We have always risked our lives. We took some precaution. He even wrote a will and left me a letter so I have something to hold on to when he was gone. But now, I can't bring myself to read that damn letter. I can't bring myself to let him go. I just can't...” Lyla stopped, sobbing. She carefully tried to cry quietly so that Sara wouldn't hear her.  
“I'm sorry, Lyla. I'm so sorry. But I think John...Johnny would have wanted you to go on with your life. You remember: “He's gone but never forgotten.” You love him, you will probably always love him and he will always be in your memories, beside you in some way. Gone but never forgotten. Remember Johnny, but also remember what he would have done in your place. He would have cried, grieved and eventually he would have opened your letter. But it's been less than a week, Lyla. You are allowed to not be ready, to cry and cry and just...be sad,” Felicity said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.  
Lyla managed a weak smile. “That's the exact opposite to what they teach you in the army: Go on with your life, don't think about what you lost, just move on. And I think sometimes this works but only as long as you are still in the battlefield. And then, when you get home, it all crashes down on you. Johnny never really left the battlefield. I wonder sometimes if he even could have, when he had ever wanted to. Oliver and Johnny, they are not made for a peaceful lifestyle. They tried and they failed.”  
“John died as a hero,” Felicity said.  
“He wouldn't have death get him any other way,” Lyla said, laughing a little. She looked up to the clock on the wall, surprised: “Oh, it's getting late. I need to bring Sara to bed. You want to come with me?”  
Felicity nodded and stood up with her. Lyla picked up her daughter and carried her to her bedroom. Felicity watched as she changed her napkin, wondering when the right moment was to tell Oliver that he was going to be a father soon. But now was definitely not the time. So she just looked at little Sara standing in her bed, smiling up at her and soon she would have a child of her own. Another reason to keep fighting.  
“Come on, honey, you need to lie down to sleep,” Lyla said gently, trying to get her to sleep. But Sara stood firmly, looking at the door.  
“Daddy” she said in her cute toddler voice.  
“I'm sorry, honey,” Lyla's voice cracked, “But Daddy can't come to tell you good night…” She left the “never again” unspoken in the air. Sara just looked up at her mother, confused and then she called out again: “Daddy.” This time she waved her hands at the door.  
Lyla and Felicity slowly turned around. John was there, leaning against the door frame. He smiled down at his little daughter.  
“I'm here, Sara. I'm not gonna leave you,” he said. He was crying a little as he picked up his daughter. “Daddy, you home!” she said, laughing.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think that the gravestone is Felicity's because Barry would have reacted differently to her death but Barry knew Diggle well enough to be invited to his funeral. So it would make sense. Obviously I don't want any of them to die. In fact, I couldn't even let Diggle stay dead for real in this ficlet. I hope you liked it. I have never really written angsty stuff before. Sorry for the mistakes.


End file.
